Educational Science

7 famous Fourth of Julys: How Independence Day has changed

Americans celebrated the first July Fourth in 1777, a year after declaring independence from England. The festivities have varied in the years since then, but several mainstays have emerged (parades and fireworks) while other patriotic pastimes (drunken toasts made by menfolk) have gone out of style. Here's a list of...

Fire Fountains of the Ancient Moon Explained

The ancient lunar surface once erupted with geysers of lava — and now, scientists think they know what caused those fiery fountains. Current research suggests that the moon formed when a Mars-size object barreled into Earth in the early solar system, and for a long time, its surface was much...

Placebos offer real therapeutic value: Although they cannot cure an illness, they can make patients feel better. So why not incorporate them into medical practice? In a provocative essay published today (July 1) in The New England Journal of Medicine, Harvard Medical School professor Ted Kaptchuk proposes that placebos should...

10 Years After Hurricane Katrina: Have Weather Forecasts Improved?

The fierce Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the Gulf Coast, taking more than 1,800 lives, made landfall 10 years ago. And though meteorologists knew then it would slam New Orleans with levee-toppling intensity, today's weather forecasters are even better equipped to give notice of a storm's coming havoc. Overall, meteorologists have...

'Lego-Stacking' Technique Could Help Scientists Grow Human Organs

By stacking human cells together like Lego blocks, scientists have found a way to create tiny, 3D models of human tissue. The advance may enable scientists to test customized medicines before injecting them into a patient and, ultimately, to grow whole human organs, the scientists say. The main difficulty scientists...

Unforgettable Images Capture Volcano Rumbling to Life

The towering volcano of Cotopaxi, which looms over Ecuador, recently began erupting. Photographers Jorge Castillo and Lucas Bustamante recently captured photos of the stunning ash plumes emerging from the volcano. The volcano has blanketed nearby towns and villages with a fine dusting of ash, as the locals wait to see...

Hurricane Katrina's Stark Changes Endure in Images from Space

Louisiana's dramatically enlarged lakes and inundated marshes — stark reminders of Hurricane Katrina’s ferocity 10 years ago — are prominent in a new satellite image. Hurricane Katrina, which made landfall along the Louisiana-Mississippi border as a Category 3 storm on Aug. 29, 2005, transformed the marshes that buffer New Orleans...

Free Pass! National Parks Waive Admissions Fee on Tuesday

In celebration of its 99th birthday, the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) is providing free admission to all of its sites for one day next week. Next Tuesday (Aug. 25), people can visit any of the NPS' 408 sites across the country, including popular spots such as Joshua Tree National...

Plague Cases in US Are Unusually High This Year

There's been an unusually high number of plague cases in the United States this year, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Since April 1, there have been 11 cases of plague in six states, the report said. That's higher than usual —...

Spidey Senses Tingling! Arachnids Feel Sex

Spider sex just got a little more interesting. Researchers now find that the spider equivalent of the penis isn't numb like once believed; it's filled with nerves that might help the spider ensure fertilization. Male spiders mate using specialized appendages called pedipalps, which end in structures called palpal organs. The...